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Biggest Game Releases of May 2021

James -

From PC to Console, New Games for Every Gamer

The gaming industry is booming these days - bigger than sports and movies combined. The industry keeps growing at a breathtaking pace, and 2021 promises to be the biggest year yet. May 2021 is looking to be a hot month for new video game releases and updates. Here are ten of the most highly anticipated releases of the month!

Jump to a game:

Resident Evil Village

Release Date: May 7, 2021
Platforms: PlayStation 4|5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Stadia, Windows
Developer/Publisher: Capcom

Resident Evil Village is a survival-horror game from Capcom. As Ethan Winters, the returning protagonist from Resident Evil 7, you find yourself kidnapped and held captive in a mysterious European village. You have to escape, explore the village, and rescue your daughter Rosemary - all while battling the most terrifying assortment of foes that the creative minds at Capcom can cook up.

The 8th installment of the series is one of the year’s most highly anticipated games, and for reasons that go well beyond name recognition. The snowbound village looks spectacular. The gameplay is varied, original, and appropriately scary. The villain, the nine-foot-tall vampire lady Alcina Dimitrescu, has already become a popular Internet meme. Resident Evil Village seems certain to provide a creepy and memorable horror experience.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends

Release Date: May 10, 2021
Platforms: PlayStation 4|5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Developer/Publisher: Sumo Digital/Focus Home Interactive

Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a third-person multiplayer action game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Focus Home Interactive. You play as members of an outlaw band pulling off a medieval heist. You and your teammates have to steal a key from the Sheriff, then find and open a secret vault. However, a rival team of players is also in action and may prevent your success.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends is clearly inspired by the legend of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, but it also draws from other areas of medieval history and fantasy. You play in a team of four characters: the Ranger (a sniper with a longbow), the Hunter (a DPS character with a crossbow and smoke grenades), the Brawler (a tank with a huge hammer), or the Mystic (a priest with poisons and a flail.) Your team will need a cool head and tactical teamwork to survive and triumph.

Huntdown

Release Date: May 12, 2021
Platforms: PC (Currently on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One)
Developer/Publisher: Coffee Stain Studios/Coffee Stain Publishing

Huntdown is an indie platform shooter in which you play a bounty hunter tracking down colorful criminals in a colorful retro-future dystopia. The graphics, music, gameplay, and world design are all designed to evoke the action movies and video games of the ‘80s.

Huntdown captures the look and feel of classic games like Contra, but with updates that subtly modernize it. You jump, climb, and shoot a wild variety of creatively-designed weapons against hordes of colorful enemies. You have a choice of three ‘80s-inspired anti-heroes: commando vigilante Anna Conda, cyborg cop John Sawyer, or rogue robot Mow Man. It’s just as cheesy and just as awesome as it sounds. Huntdown has been a runaway success on consoles, and its PC release has been eagerly awaited.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Release Date: May 14, 2021
Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (Next-Gen Compatible)
Developer/Publisher: Bioware/Electronic Arts

The Mass Effect series, from Bioware and EA, is the definitive science-fiction RPG experience. Sci-fi gamers remember their first Mass Effect experiences fondly, and the new remaster of the original trilogy will allow them to experience it with new eyes.

The Mass Effect games are third-person shooter RPGs. You play Commander Shepard, a military operative on a desperate mission to save the galaxy from hostile aliens known as Reapers. You acquire a spaceship and recruit a crew of humans and aliens to help you on your quest. Like many Bioware games, the Mass Effect series is well known for the depth of its stories and character interactions. Player goodwill is likely to guarantee good sales for the remaster, which looks to significantly improve the graphics and gameplay, especially of the first game.

In the meantime, here are 10 games to play if you're a fan of the Mass Effect series.

Days Gone

Release Date: May 18, 2021
Platforms: Windows (Currently on PlayStation 4)
Developer/Publisher: Bend Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Days Gone finally heads to PC! This is an epic third-person survival exploration game from Bend Studio.  You play as the nomadic biker Deacon St. John, an Army veteran roaming the Pacific Northwest in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. You ride your bike to various survivor settlements, each of which has its own troubles which form the basis of your quests.

Quest rewards and a robust crafting system allow you to upgrade your weapons, gear, and motorcycle. The action includes stealth, hostage rescue, and straight-out combat - including huge battles against zombie hordes. Days Gone has been one of Sony’s biggest hits on the PS4, and it’s expected to even better on PC.

Of Bird and Cage

Release Date: May 20, 2021
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
Developer/Publisher: Capricia Productions/All in! Games SA

Of Bird and Cage is a unique indie game based on symphonic metal. The experience is as much heavy metal concept album as it is video game. You play as Gitta Barbot, a young woman struggling to escape from the man who’s holding her captive. It’s not a straightforward task, as she has to overcome drug addiction and Stockholm syndrome. Your musical choices affect the events of the game, which can - as you might expect from a heavy metal story - get very dark indeed. Will the songbird remain caged, fly free, or be crushed by her struggles?

The Wild at Heart

Release Date: May 20, 2021
Platforms: Windows, Xbox One
Developer/Publisher: Moonlight Kids/Humble Bundle Games

The Wild at Heart is a 2D adventure and strategy game from Moonlight Kids and Humble Bundle Games. You play the children Wake and Kirby, exploring a magical forest. The forest is threatened by a sinister force called the Never, and it’s up to you to save it. You recruit a team of quirky, fairy-like Spritelings to help you fight, build, and break things in your quest to discover and save this world. The Wild at Heart  has a charming hand-painted look to it, giving the feeling of playing inside an old-fashioned children’s book.

Knockout City

Release Date: May 21, 2021
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4|5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Developer/Publisher: Velan Studios/Electronic Arts

Knockout City is a team-based competitive brawler from Velan Studios and Electronic Arts. It’s basically a bigger, flashier, more elaborate version of dodgeball - or, as they prefer to call it, dodgeBRAWL! Your avatars are colorful, cartoonish street toughs which you can design and customize. You play against rival teams in a variety of three-dimensional urban landscapes, some of which have their own environmental hazards. The balls have different properties, such as the Moon Ball (which lets you jump higher) and the Bomb Ball (self-explanatory). As the success of Fall Guys last year showed us, a game can be fast-paced and competitive while also being cute and charming to look at.

Rust

Release Date: May 21, 2021
Platforms: Playstation 4 and Xbox One
Developer/Publisher: Facepunch Studios/Double Eleven

Rust is a multiplayer survival game from Facepunch Studios and Double Eleven. As in so many other survival games, from Minecraft to Valheim, you start with nothing and have to craft your own gear in order to survive. You have to deal with hunger, thirst, and fatigue, as well as with inclement weather and hostile animals. But in Rust, your fellow players are the biggest menace of all. Rust has no single-player mode. Other players are always around, and they’re always competition. Most players survive by joining a clan and building a base. After five years in limited release, Rust continues to be one of the most popular games on Steam and Twitch. Console gamers have been patiently awaiting their turn, and Rust is likely to be a hit with them as well.

Biomutant

Release Date: May 25, 2021
Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developer/Publisher: Experiment 101/THQ Nordic

Biomutant is a third-person action-RPG from Experiment 101 and THQ Nordic. You play as a furry humanoid traversing an open world in a quest to save the Tree of Life. The game features elaborate choice and role-playing mechanics, as your choices affect gameplay and you have to negotiate with six different tribes.

Your avatar is highly customizable. Initial choices include size, body shape, fur, and fangs. These choices aren’t merely aesthetic; they determine your character’s starting abilities. Later in the game, you can further customize yourself and your weapons with elemental powers and cybernetic attachments. Biomutant promises to be a real treat for gamers who love role-playing choices, open world exploration, and character customization.

A Diverse Catalog of Releases

As you can see, May 2021 offers a whole lot to look forward to. Whether you’re into sci-fi, fantasy, or horror, action, survival, or platformers, or something entirely new, next month will have something to excite every gamer.